


And The False Bust

by CelticGHardy



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: And another mystery character, Gen, spoilery to the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-05
Updated: 2016-01-05
Packaged: 2018-05-12 01:26:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5648704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelticGHardy/pseuds/CelticGHardy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Flynn just happens to be back for a small amount of time, enough to help out the group with a curse that's driving people into comas through immense amounts of pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And The False Bust

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm bad at this. Very bad. I get ideas and they stick until I write them loose. And I want to go small, drabble, maybe 500 words, but nope, it went big. And twisty. And has three more stories set up and ready to be written, possibly fast. Not sure on that.
> 
> So, [we all know this exchange.](http://thelibrarianstv.tumblr.com/post/135077042052)
> 
> Text version  
> EZEKIEL: You're sure this is safe?  
> FLYNN: The Bracer of Agamemnon, the gauntlets of Athena, the Helm of Poseidon. You're all Greeked up. There is no way that Zeus's lightning rod will strike you. [Exhales sharply, hiding behind a bust]  
> EZEKIEL: Ah. I saw that.  
> FLYNN: What?! I'm getting comfortable over here. I'm watching your show of expertise.  
> EZEKIEL: You have never liked me.  
> FLYNN: Now's not the time for that.
> 
> I had thoughts on why Flynn never liked Ezekiel. This happened. Set between 2.07 and 2.08.
> 
> EDIT: I changed the ending a bit. Making it a bit smoother, hopefully.

Flynn barged through the Back Door, holding aloft a spherical item, an orb, roughly two inches in diameter and slightly glowing in green. The team, which were reading up on their latest case, came forward to help. Eve and Jake barred and disconnected the door. Cassandra and Ezekiel helped him settle into the calm environment, and move away from the door. She asked what the orb was about, plying him with water and small crackers. He grabbed the orb so Flynn could have both hands free. “The Orb of Interference. Bland on its own, it only detects magical spells that are interfering with each other. Someone, and I'm not sure if it's Prospero, got a hold on it and worked it so it would interact and cause interference. The Sidhe came to me to find out what was going on and what are you doing with that?” he interrupted himself, seeing Ezekiel roll the ball around his hands.

Before he had a chance to explain, Flynn swiped it back from his hands, remembering his fumbles with the Eye of Zarathustra. “Oi, just reading it. Can't keep it still and then see through it,” he explained, scowling at the man. The orb ended up in Jake's hands when he walked over with Eve. Behind his back, Eve frowned at the reaction.

The older man then lightened up, moving over to a workstation. “So, what new case has the Clipping book checked out?” he inquired, reading over someone's notes.

It was Cassandra's desk, so she took up explaining it. “There's a curse going through this county in northern New York. The people experience pain levels that build up until they pass into a coma from the level of it,” she said, bringing up a few copied doctors reports, “We've identified their connection, but not who's behind it.”

“There's a park holding an interactive art gallery,” Jake brought up, bringing up photos of the park's trail and its features, “All of them went through the exhibit within four hours of their first symptoms.”

“And one is the embodiment of pain,” Ezekiel mentioned, one being highlighted on the screen. He was over the snubbing from Flynn, mostly. His cell and wallet were in his pocket. The phone was already being invaded with a ring tone that would replace everything he had, and the credit card was going to buy his next few pizzas.

Until Eve grabbed it back and handed it to the man. The phone wasn't immediately noticeable, but she eyed him as he checked it over. “You, you loaded Gangnam Style on my phone?” he asked.

“What? Not up to the dancing?” he smirked.

A ping stopped the arguing as Cassandra was alerted to a new disturbance. “Another victim just entered the coma phase,” she reported, quickly reading the report.

Eve said, “Alright, we need to get on the ground research.”

“We still don't have the initiating event,” Cassandra pointed out.

“Or if it is actually the statue about the embodiment of pain,” Jake added, “That might be a decoy and it might be a different one.”

“Which is why you need to be in the middle of it, finding out everything on the scene,” Flynn said, rocking back on his heels, “Maybe with an extra pair of eyes.” He looked over to Eve, kinda asking for permission. Flynn knew that this could be bad. They, he, could not get his head straight when it came to her. The way he acted, being used to loneliness, then having those months that they were constantly together and then leaving her to fix things again. The hunt for Prospero and Moriarty, his comments when the latter man praised her and he inserted his foot. He was bad at this, bad. 

She seemed to be thinking about it and wasn't overly hostile in her emotional state. It was more basic, planning on what she was going to order. She nodded, “All right, two groups. Cassandra, Stone, you're with me. Flynn, you're with Jones.”

All right, he's going with, wait, what? “Uh, I request a change in partners,” Ezekiel said, raising his hand. Eve stared at him. It made him put down his hand, but he kept going. “How about I switch with Cassandra? He likes Cassandra, works really well with her.”

“Nope,” she smiled, not a glad one, but a satisfied one. Flynn doesn't know what more he's done to deserve the pairing with Jones. Ezekiel was thinking the same thing, like it was a punishment for the pick-pocketing he had just done. Their feelings were ignored as she started pushing everyone over to the Back Door. “Let's go, sunlight's burning.” 

The Door had situated itself two stores down from the park. The day was bright, but there were building rain clouds to the west. Cuilette Park was still open, as people were mostly unaware of the victims connection. If investigating parties were still figuring it out, they were going to be late when the team solved it.

Jake picked up two maps and copies, one to the statues and another to the park in whole. Flynn took the copies, leaving a reader by his shoulder to see the maps as well. “Embodiment of pain is in the third group of larger sculptures, towards the center,” Jake said.

Flynn tacked on, “Second suspect could be Downfall of Love. Painful in its own right.” Eve leveled some type of face at him. Maybe contempt, or a 'You're an idiot.' He filed it for asking later, but now, they were focused on this. “Or possibly something in that area. I'll-”

“You two,” Eve reminded, “Will take that one. We will take the main suspect.” Jake left the group behind, observing the sculptures as he walked by slowly. Cassandra followed, muttering equations as she regarded them and their spaces. Eve took up the back, pushing them forward. Flynn stalked off to the other statue, Ezekiel catching up after being the last one.

The older man gazed among the various works with an interested, but not entirely fascinated look. He was distracted, most times when he's going after something that he couldn't just go around a museum and stand there for hours. It would be nice to do that again. Most vacations don't end well for him, though, his job cut through and quiet days usually ended up with him being chased around the Seine before crashing headfirst into it. The younger male behind him was similar, a little interest, but mostly focused and regarding everything with different skill sets. Art lost its sentimentality and wonder when it came to stealing and selling it. Emotions weren't part of the agreement, but price. A piece may look nice, but if it wasn't worth enough to be stolen, it was nothing to him, really. Pieces were analyzed for building materials, price range, and now possible magic traces in the work.

Even with the park being open, there weren't many others walking around. Flynn nodded to two going the other way and watched to make sure Ezekiel didn't lift their valuables. He raised his hands until they walked by, but he was still going to have Eve go over him when the team gathered again. It only took a few more minutes to get to the statue they were meant to be investigating. “Okay, first step, inscriptions that are not meant to be there,” Flynn said.

Ezekiel was checking something on his phone. “He signs his pieces at the top, behind where they aren't visible to the audience,” he mentioned. Flynn found them quickly, a simple NB scratched out along with the date it was finished. He walked around a few times, seeing all the etchings and seeing nothing that would be curses, hexes, or other magical runes. Nothing around on the ground that could be affecting the people. It made no sense. What could possibly be effecting these people and it wasn't anywhere around? _The first one was likely it, unless someone had a horrible poetic sense and they actually affected an opposite. The artist did couple of things based off healing and care._

Standing up, he prepared, “Okay, Jones, we're heading over to-” Swinging around, he found out they weren't the only ones around. The two that had been walking away were now back, and holding guns pointed at him. Two more had joined in, one covering a now _obviously bound, his hands are behind him and the bad guys either have the hands up or the person bound_ Ezekiel Jones with another gun at his head. “Hello?”

The last man grimaced, “Flynn Carsen, main Librarian. We were hoping that you were with your Guardian would be the one with you.”

“Sorry,” he said, “She decided to try something different this time. You know, he could-”

The man held up a hand. “Mr. Carsen, please.” It was an insult to their intelligence. He couldn't help it. Some were not as bright. Then, of course, he had been spoiled by a former Librarian as his first bad guy. “Would you submit to being restrained without fighting?”

“Uh-”

“ _Carsen_ ,” Jones muttered sharply. Oh right, already had Jones, they wouldn't fight, just threaten their first hostage and go through with them. Eve wouldn't be happy if something happened to the LiTs. Even this one. Sometimes, he wondered if especially this one. She always had a problem if something happened to him. He didn't tense or struggle as he placed a set of handcuffs on him. _Huh, that's strange. Handcuffs click when they lock in place._

With one person on each of them, the other two talked in whispers while they were marched forward. Flynn and Ezekiel caught some of it. 'Bait' came up a few times. Flynn thought he heard someone using a cell phone, and Ezekiel might have heard another voice, but neither could confirm with each other. At a fork, they were pushed deeper into the park. The two pictured the last group of sculptures, massive ones that needed the most room and went with the nature walk that started there. A pair of statues, unique interpretations of Drama and Comedy acting as an arch, was where they were wrapped with heavy rope and left. Two of their captors stayed in the shadows to capture the others.

Flynn, not happy with the silence, decided to start talking. “Hey, who wants to hear a joke?” he shouted, making sure the other two could hear it. Maybe if the others came over, they would know about the extras in the trees. “A bartender had three people walk into his bar, visiting priests attending a Catholic seminary and lecture series. One wanted water, as the designated driver. The next one wanted a beer. The third-”

“Yow!” Ezekiel exclaimed, wincing in pain and twisting to see what had happened.

“You ruined the joke,” Flynn said.

He sputtered at the 'problem'. “Ruined the joke? These things just zapped me, all right? And,” he said, confirming his thought, “Destroyed my pick. One of my good ones.”

“Well, thank you for confirming.”

“Confirming?”

“Someone made magical handcuffs.”

Ezekiel scowled. “Magical handcuffs? Someone made magical handcuffs?”

“In hindsight, it makes the most sense.” Ezekiel groaned and thumped against the statue. “I read Houdini's book about five months into the job. I kept getting tied up. So, I've been getting out of these things within a couple of minutes after being left alone. Most bad guys tend to forget that.”

Ezekiel ignored the last couple of sentences. “Magical picklocks. Anyway to make magical picklocks?” he tried.

Flynn thought for a few seconds, considering the angles. “Well, yes, but it wouldn't work as you think. Maybe solve normal locks faster, but magical locks would be coded to their keys.”

“So, you've never figured out a magical skeleton key?” Ezekiel asked. “Mr. Head Librarian never figured out how to make a magical skeleton key?”

Flynn stared unamused at him. “I have never had the need, or particularly, the want to delve into that sort of thing,” he said. “And that is something you shouldn't be thinking about either. Unless you want E- Colonel Baird finding out.”

“I normally don't have this problem. And besides, it's too easy.” He was smug, yeah, really smug. He thought of something that the older man hadn't.

“Too easy?” Flynn scoffed, “The Master Thief doesn't do something easy.” That last word would have been finger quoted if he could have.

Ezekiel rolled his eyes. “There is no fun in easy.”

“Right, the Master Thief that never got through school wouldn't want something easy,” he slipped.

The younger man glared at him. The thieving, that he had been vocal about since before he was brought into the Library circle. Not helped by their first meeting with the warning about the necklace and him grabbing it after. Not like that mattered, it didn't act cursed. Now that he knew how cursed items sometimes reacted. He always thought that it was the biggest reason, that Flynn was high, and mighty, and good and white, that a thief working with shades of gray would impugn his moral center. Or influence someone else's. He was a thief, who knows what types of things he would do if left unsupervised and unrestrained. But school?

“Excuse me?” he questioned, voice harder than most people had ever experienced from him.

“Ah,” he said, realizing last second about the middle part of the sentence, “Forget that.”

Ezekiel pushed with it. “No, actually, I think we should focus on that. Thief I get, mister high and mighty. But school? What the hell does schooling have to do with anything?” Flynn actually kept quiet. “Oh, no, don't keep back at my account. Mister Librarian that graduated when you were sixteen, twenty two degrees when you were recruited, been saving the world for ten years.”

Flynn corrected, “Almost twelve years! And this coming from a supposedly world class thief that used a heated glass cutter in the middle of a thermal sensitive environment. Maybe if you had gone to school, you would have figured that out.” He immediately winced at the attack. _Back on the thieving, back on the thieving._

Ezekiel had an actual second long jaw drop that he covered up with a particularly harsh jab. “My original plan was messed up by a Brotherhood thug trying to kill me and you walking in. If the body falling didn't alert security, your voice would have,” he accused.

“MY voice!” Flynn tried coming up with something to counter that. “I'm not the world class thief that missed an extra security guard wandering around the museum and almost got killed for it.”

“I'm not the one that can't get his head on straight when it comes to figuring out how to win back Colonel Baird,” he shot back.

“Hey!”

The two captors, who had been listening to the argument, received their instructions. Apparently, the others were now gone, believing their friends to have taken off as well. They had to prepare them for transport. The one behind Flynn nodded to his partner to knock the kid out first. A syringe with sedative was uncapped. Flynn noticed the movement and thought something worse. “No! No, hey!” Ezekiel's head was held in place when the needle slid into his neck and knocked him out. Focused on that, his own went in quickly, and the drug took effect.

-

Ezekiel came back in little snippets. His feeling at first was cold, hard, and ungiving. Concrete or unheated marble. Even the air was frigid, and it punctured his throat in tiny bits when he breathed. His arms were spread, which meant the handcuffs had been removed and he was free, er. It was dark when he opened his eyes, and it took a while for his eyes to adjust to the small amount of light that was coming through.

Awake, he pushed himself off the floor, grimacing at the stiffness. A quick body check found his primary phone was gone, along with a couple of other picks he always kept stored on his body. Flynn was still out, and he checked him over as well to find his phone gone, but found a few other things in his pockets. “Chopsticks?” he whispered, “Why would you keep disposable chopsticks in your pocket?” There were also a couple of other strange things, but he placed them back before sitting back down.

After listening, carefully, for anyone around, he pulled out his secondary cell phone. It was simple, but it had a strong signal and quiet. The point was a backup for them to trace. The texting mode was ugly, but he got through it and sending.

**colonel been captured with flynn**

_We know. Where are you?_

**dont know cant see outside**

_Injuries?_

**none flynns still asleep**

Approaching footsteps warned him of a visitor and he laid back down with the phone under him. 

**someone coming**

He placed the phone in an inner pocket. Playing dead, he heard the door opening. His instincts wanted to run. Dead was hard to play when your nerves were alert. Someone flipped him over and searched his pockets and found the second phone. _Shit._ The item hit the ground and he heard a crunching as a shoe crushed it. He hoped that it was the only thing the person was going to do, and that they would just leave.

Instead, the same foot slammed down on his left forearm.

His eyes snapped up as an immense amount of pain went through his arm. Ezekiel gasped, the loudest sound he would allow himself to make as the bone ends started sliding when he ground down. It was intensifying the agony until someone dragged him off and threw him against the opposite wall. He was surprised to see Flynn up and mobile, considering he was just asleep, _and he also doesn't like me_. The two fought for a couple of seconds, and Flynn had a lead before two other guys forced their way in with guns pointed at him and Ezekiel. The one that had committed the act was reminded of the other second part, which was to clean the pieces up so they couldn't be used. The three then left with no words.

The older man rubbed his knuckles a quick second before dropping down beside Ezekiel. He gently held a finger to help rotate the arm, and see the damage. But, the arm withdrew and he heard the smallest of pained noises. “Jones,” he tried.

“It's broken,” he said, curling protectively around it, “Don't need a second opinion.”

He frowned, then started stripping off his jacket and untying the ascot. “Okay, we're going to need to set the bone and immobilize it.” He frowned, trying to figure out what he could use. His hands checked for the chopsticks that he had and pulled them out. “First things first. I need you against the wall in a sitting position.” Ezekiel almost questioned it until he realized it would be better access to the arm and easier to stand. With help, he sat up. “Have you ever had a bone set before?”

“A couple of times,” he said.

“Conscious and without painkillers?”

He hesitated. “Once. I blacked out after.”

Flynn sighed, “Okay. Draw your knees up, wrap your good arm around them, and scream into this.” His balled up jacket was handed over, minus a few things that Ezekiel saw the man place somewhere else. Following his advice, he settled into the new position while he checked the chopsticks, ascot, and a small jar of something. He warned, “Don't retract your arm this time.” He was going to have plenty of force to make it stay, but movement could ruin the process.

Carefully taking the arm again, Ezekiel watched and then buried his head when he knew what was coming. He screamed when the movement started and kept going through the aftershocks. His voice died out when Flynn was wrapping the ascot around the chopsticks and tying it tightly in place after rubbing something on it. “Last thing,” he lowly said. Nudging Ezekiel up, he moved his arm back to his chest. His jacket then became a sling, keeping it in place.

Finished with that, he started scouting the place. Needless to say, Eve won't be finding them soon. The phone was Ezekiel's plan and that was a failure due to being found out. Now, it was his try. No windows, so likely an inside room. The door was locked, and now covered by two thugs. He looked around and saw a security camera that followed him when he started moving. _That's how they knew about the phone._ So, seemingly defeated, unless he used some of his extreme backup scenarios (none of which included an injured, second party), he joined Jones on the floor.

The place was depressingly quiet, and this time, he wasn't the one to break it.

“Why don't you like me?” Flynn looked over at Jones, who was staring forward, but twisted, a little, toward him. “Because I get the thieving, but you mentioned school. And that doesn't make as much sense.”

Okay, those weren't particularly great things to bring up. His subconscious was bringing up the reasons and he didn't completely wanted to figure it out. “Still not the time for this,” he muttered, trying to get out of the conversation.

Didn't work. “It wasn't the right time when I went after Zeus's lightning and you hid behind busts. You'd run off if I tried talking to you or you would brush me off. So, I'm going to keep bugging you until you explain.” He took his right hand and started poking him.

“What?” he said, slapping him off and getting it back again. “Stop that.”

“Not until you tell me.” He went to the head and started pulling strands of hair.

Flynn grabbed his wrist and made it stay away from him. “You stole the Crown Jewels of Amenhotep and I'm the one that had to deal with the mummy,” he stated, annoyed at that. Maybe, maybe, it could stay at that.

Ezekiel called him on that. “Nope, not buying it.” His hand slipped from the grasp and started pulling at the remaining shirts.

The older man grabbed it again. “Can you take anything seriously?” he questioned. “Have you ever taken this seriously?” Ezekiel glared at him, finally facing him. Now he had his attention. “You were using the Back Door to steal at the beginning. Eve told me about the time you walked in with police right behind you, holding a painting you stolen. While everyone's researching the latest case, which you should do considering your lack of knowledge in some of the most basic areas, you're instead screwing around.” He should shut up. The camera could be recording their voices as well. 

Ezekiel breathed deeply before he did anything he would 'regret'. He never understood urges to punch people, but now he was figuring out what was so alluring about it. Hitting Carsen would be deeply fulfilling. “This coming from a man that had to have everything spoon fed to him in a safe environment, with teachers and schoolbooks that have helpful worksheets and questions to review,” he snipped, “Not everyone has the ability to go to school, Carsen. I learned everything I know the hard way. Trial and error, over and over until things go smoothly. I was by myself, figuring out techniques and coding. I am always serious when I need to be. And that Brotherhood guy you tasered was waking up. I didn't go with my original plan so he could be caught. I thought of that because you were too busy paying attention to me.” He poked his chest to get the point across.

Flynn swatted his hand. There was a tiny bit of guilt at the fact that Jones couldn't go to school. No doubt having to do with running from the foster care system. Most of his thoughts were unchanged. “You only learn the things you need, never going beyond it,” he said. 

Yadda yadda, blah blah. He had heard that before. _Get new material._ “And what about the child remark?”

The man screwed up his face. “I was thirty, thirty when I started, and ill equipped at the beginning. You're years younger than I was and-”

“Better able to handle it,” he unhappily smirked, “No Mummy or Daddy to shelter me.”

“MI6 hooking their claws into you for their agent programs,” he added himself, not entirely hating him for that.

“Life as a world class thief,” Ezekiel said.

_Not exactly the life that I entirely visioned of him._ Flynn had kinda thought about the older films where thieves would go to parties, laugh with their victims before leaving and then the people realized they had been robbed. They wouldn't have remorse about the deed, they stole from the elderly, etc. A tangible evil, a tangible evil-ness that would allow good, law-abiding, sane person to at least have a reason to hate the thieves. But then, real life had to come and give reasons as to why this particular thief went into his criminal way and his mind had to go and sympathize slightly with him. Evil, evil reality, making him sympathetic to Jones.

Another voice interrupted, “Well, this has been informative.” They looked up to see the men that had captured them standing at the door. The one that was insulted by Flynn had a gun, again. “Our host is ready to greet you.”

-

Embodiment of pain was a bust. Both in the literal sense that the artist made pain to look like everyone in the word in bust form, and the fact that it wasn't the origin point. None of the pieces in the area were and Jake figured out a couple of other places before they called off the search and headed back to the Annex. Eve had tried to get in contact with Flynn, then Jones, but neither answered their phones. “Okay, bad news, Flynn and Jones have gone off the grid,” she said, dropping her phone on the desk.

“Maybe they found a lead and can't return your calls yet,” Cassandra prompted.

Jake scoffed, “I think Jones knows better by now not to ignore her calls.”

While Eve started devising tactics to find out where the two had gone, Cassandra checked for updates on the victims. Several things started becoming strange. “All the coma patients are awake,” she reported. 

Eve said, “What?” 

The Clipping book glowed after she reported that. Jake was the closest and read, “Miraculous recovery of every person that experienced pain. Those in the comas started showing signs of consciousness and as of thirty minutes ago the earliest one was up and talking.” Then he looked back at the group. “We never found the source of what was causing it. We couldn't reverse things.”

Jenkins, who had come to the main room after hearing their voices, spoke up. “Perhaps there was nothing to reverse.”

“But this wasn't natural,” Cassandra said, “The Clipping book sent us to investigate it.”

“Oh, I'm not saying it's not magical, but you wouldn't have been able to find anything because it wasn't truly part of the art. Or the park, or the people.” Eve started to get a creeping suspicion, and she had a hunch that Jenkins had figured it out. “Someone used it to get our attention.”

“It was a lure,” she voiced. “Someone lured us there.” Now the disappearance of Flynn and Jones grew worse. Who could have known that Flynn would have been back? They were barely on the case for a few hours. Flynn was normally away for weeks, how could have someone figured out that he would be back just in time to join them when they decided to check out the area? How were they to know the target was even Flynn? Jones would be prime for someone to prey on. Arrogant, cocky, he gathered attention easily. Someone might want to rough up the young thief in retribution.

“And whoever it was managed to get their target. Flynn or Ezekiel,” Cassandra said.

“Or both,” Jake added, “Maybe they were hoping for all of us.” That was worse, and what made them leave with the only two they had managed to get? “Is it possible to get back to the area, look for clues?”

“Not you two,” Eve stopped, “If they want Librarians, we're not making it easier for them. I'll go, use my badge to get myself in this time and see if there's any footage from around the area.”

“Yeah, but they want you as well,” Jake argued.

“We'll have to take that risk,” she said, reloading the last location for the Back Door. Cassandra and Jake, annoyed, decided to brainstorm with Jenkins over curses that one would incant to affect their victim. Since they weren't confined to items anymore, they went into spellbooks that would have easy to direct curses and those that didn't need massive amounts of energy or room. They had a list of culprits before Eve came back from her journey a few hours later. “No one's seen them since we walked in together. Got a few storefronts to show me their security footage. A van pulled up for three minutes, which four people loaded unconscious Flynn and Jones in the back. Their phones were destroyed before they left.”

As if the mentions of phones were a prediction device, hers alerted her to a text message. **colonel been captured with flynn** “Jones?” she said. Then thought about the fact she's grabbed one cell phone to see him playing on another. “Jones.”

Cassandra saw her staring at her phone and placed it quickly. “Ezekiel?” She nodded before typing out. _We know. Where are you?_

**dont know cant see outside**

She sighed. _Injuries?_ Cassandra tried asking something and she held up a finger to have her wait a few seconds.

**none flynns still asleep** Her next inquiry was interrupted by Ezekiel warning her. **someone coming** After a few minutes of waiting for him to okay talking, she set the phone down. “Wherever they are doesn't allow for sight outside. Not injured. And, since he hasn't gotten back, I suspect the phone was found out.”

Jake groaned, “So we can't find them at the moment.”

“Can we track them? Maybe a magical GPS?” Cassandra suggested.

“Highly unlikely,” Jenkins informed. “Mr. Carsen has been laced with magic for the last several years, some of which were protection spells he placed to keep himself from being tracked. Mr. Jones, being near him, will be protected from them as well.”

The three others frowned at the news. Eve looked up to the ceiling. “Anything you want to add?” she asked. The others, even after meeting a physical representation of the Library, didn't do what she did. A couple of minutes passed and she shrugged, figuring the building had something planned, or was as stumped as they were. The Clipping Book lit up again, a new piece of the puzzle coming up. “Thank you.” She walked over to the new article. “Missing Person, Ni-” she stopped.

“What is it?” Jake asked.

“Missing Person, Nicole Noone had not shown up to her job for the past three days. The security firm that she was working for has reported her missing,” she read.

“Oh dear,” Jenkins said, “That is not good.”

Eve broke in before anyone asked. “Nicole Noone was Flynn's first Guardian. She was also the Guardian of the Librarian before him.”

“The one that led the Serpent Brotherhood? Wilde?” Jake confirmed.

“Edward Wilde,” Jenkins said, “He faked his death and managed to get a hold of the Spear of Destiny. Flynn defeated him by making the top of the pyramid drop down on him.” The other two looked at each other before realizing that they would have to ask Flynn about the full story. “If this does concern her as well-”

“Another kidnap victim?” Jake thought out. 

Eve had a nagging feeling. “All right, you two, with me. We're checking out Noone. Jenkins, try to figure out a way to track Jones or Flynn. I know you said Flynn placed spells on himself, but he would have left something for Judson and Charlene to trace.” He nodded before heading into the Library.

In the midst of Charleston stood Titan Security. Eve managed to get them inside without trouble. Their inquires led them to her boss, the CEO. “I don't understand why exactly you're here. How did you know Nicole?”

“Oh, we didn't,” Cassandra said.

Jake added, “She worked with a coworker of ours, Flynn Carsen. He was recently kidnapped along with a second coworker.”

“We have reason to believe the events are interconnected,” Eve said.

“What do you do?”

“We're Librarians,” Jake said.

“For a private collection,” Cassandra mentioned.

He nodded, accepting their story with ease. “We've been looking into things as well. The police have managed to track her movements and we've gotten help with our connections.”

“Security footage?” Eve asked.

“Yes.”

“Do you mind if we look as well? Maybe see a connection?” Eve tried. They had their security footage, and she was hoping thugs were reused. The man led them down the hall and the three followed.

-

Flynn kept an eye on the guy that broke Jones' arm. Ezekiel was a little amused at it, seeing him think about moving his own body in between them. He didn't think he changed his mind so quickly, but he was likely feeling guilty over his thoughts. Instead, he focused on getting all the attention that he could before someone knocked him lightly up the head with a gun butt. It was the same guy he lifted a phone off five seconds after leaving the cell, but it wasn't because the guy noticed. Seeing it was a smartphone, he started trying to work the phone without anyone realizing what was going on.

The hallways were separated by a staircase up led to an elaborately done ballroom, with a large, stone table without matching chairs in the center. Several bay windows opened to a forest of tall trees, and Flynn started trying to pick out identifiers before the glass blacked out. In response, lights came on. Another figure, one that Ezekiel had been watching, moved forth from the painting they had been gazing upon. Turning, whoever it was managed to shock Flynn. It took him a couple of seconds for his mouth to reattach to his brain. “Nicole?” he asked.

The figure moved closer. It definitely looked like Nicole. Her hair was longer and she had on a business suit. It suited her. They weren't in contact that much anymore. The lost and corruption of Wilde had soured her views on the Library. “Well, you could say I am Nicole,” 'she' said. There was something wrong with her voice, as if there were two different octaves and tones coming through one speaker, distorted to high hell. “This is her body, and her soul is still screaming at me, trying to take back control. She's futile in her efforts, but it is entertaining.” The smile was horrible, sick on that face.

“Then who are you?” Ezekiel asked. Flynn was wondering the same thing. The person took notice of him, sighting and noting down the other Librarian. The older man placed himself in front, blocking it. “I don't think that's going to stop anything,” he said.

“That is adorable, Carsen,” 'she' cooed, finding his actions laughable. “The little, oh what is, LiT is correct. You can't protect him from both angles.”

Something clicked, and he wasn't sure if it were the actions, or the words, or if that second voice finally clicked, but it worried Flynn. And angered him, really angered him. He checked to make sure he was in front of Ezekiel still. “Edward Wilde,” he acknowledged.

He clapped. “Finally, Carsen. That was longer than I thought,” Edward mocked. That had Flynn concerned, majorly concerned. He was possessing Nicole, somehow after eleven years of death, he managed to possess his former Guardian. There were more clues, the eyes were the wrong color and the gait much more meant for someone with longer legs. Ezekiel was confused. He didn't know any of the stories, his first choice to tell was Eve and Cassandra. Stone had a couple of them. Not him, and he didn't like being left out of the conversation and information. “So many years.”

Flynn was starting to stare at the table in the middle of the room. First thought was table, because of the height it could easily sit people. Subtle in trying to move over to it, he wiggled over. The younger man thought he was an idiot. The others noticed him as well. “Really, it took you that long to manage to possess someone,” he pointed out, trying to distract from his goal. That and the man got a few jabs at him, at least he could return the favor. “Why not directly after I killed you? Or within the first six months? Why now?”

He laughed, horribly. “Well, I had been watching for ages. Then, I heard about the Guardian first,” Edward explained, “Then your new plans for Librarians in Training. Watching in a void of fog isn't as fun as getting involved and dirtying ones hands. I came up with a plan, to come back, to take over the Library and gain back the power I had before. Now, it's been thrown off by a couple of mishaps, but they might be better this way.” That smile came back. “I was going to kidnap you and the Guardian. Kill her, take you over, kill Nicole. Then, those little ones would be defenseless when I walked in.” Ezekiel was angry, almost as much as when Dorian used Cassandra for his next target.

“This is a much better idea.”

Two guards held Flynn, dragging him back from what he's now figured out was an altar. No complete look at the glyphs inscribed on it, maybe a hazy one that said death or fertility. He started shouting when Edward walked up, grabbing Ezekiel's injured arm out of malice and bringing him forward. The young man fought, shouting in pain while trying to hit a body not letting go. The unoccupied guards then helped lift him Ezekiel onto the table before strapping him down. The coat and makeshift brace was removed, showing a swelling appendage. “No, no no no, Wilde. Come on. I was chosen first, I'm the one that has the most connection with the Library,” he tried reasoning.

He turned back and grinned with a feral look. “Yeah, but you're older, Carsen. This one's filled with life, and has so much potential,” he said, staring down.

“Love to be rude, but that is a horrible face on that body,” Ezekiel protested, “I would rather not see it on me.”

Edward laughed, “You don't have much of a choice.” One of the guards brought forward a chalice that was about half filled with a liquid. “Now, drink this.”

Flynn noted three things in succession. One, the men around him went down. Two, someone passed a sword into his hand. Three, a rope was thrown around Edward and he was dragged back. The chalice dumped over Ezekiel, but thankfully, nothing fell into his mouth. He looked back to see Eve standing with her gun and Jake with another sword. Cassandra had handed him his sword. Jenkins had apparently did the roping. _Huh, never would have seen that coming._

While the two men dealt with the remaining thugs, Eve went after Edward in Nicole's body, who had shrugged off the rope. The man may have been able to get into her skills to adequately fight, but Eve had something on her side that the man didn't. A body completely at her control, and a temper after she saw the swelled arm on Jones. Directing the fight away from the altar, Cassandra and Jenkins hurried to untie their last member.

Seeing as things were collapsing around him, Edward pulled out a knife and held it to his, Nicole's, neck. The others were confused. “What are you doing?” Eve asked.

Oh, yes, explain that. He smirked, “My backup plan. I kill Nicole, then move to one of my backups. Three people randomly selected that I can overtake and control, and that you can't track.” They didn't know how much of that was true, or if Edward was powerful enough to make it that far to possess another unfortunate person. Those that weren't knocked out where moving away from the group. Jenkins had come forward to possibly join in the fray. “We're leaving,” he said, “And none of us will be stopped. Wouldn't want some innocent person to suffer what dear Nicole has been going through.” The little group then left, fleeing before anyone could challenge their threat and attack.

With the threat gone, Eve checked over Flynn, by sight mostly as he didn't have any visual injuries. Ezekiel, however, was the one she hovered over. He allowed her to pull his arm out so she could assess the damage. “This is going to have to set,” she noted.

“Again?” he winced.

Eve raised an eyebrow. “Rest assured, Mr. Jones,” Jenkins said, “The second time will be aided by medical access.” The two walked in front of the rest, going to the door that they had connected to in haste. The Annex, and by extension the Library, was relieved when its last two Librarians were safe. “How did you find us?” Flynn inquired, curious. He was protected, and those protections extended to those in his vicinity. So, neither him or Jones were traceable.

“Seriously, because I was in the middle of setting up a program on the phone I 'borrowed' and it wasn't running yet for-” the younger man said.

“We tracked Noone,” Cassandra stated, interrupting him as Eve wanted to get him to their sick bed. “You're protected, and Ezekiel when he was near you. Once we found out she had been taken, she was the better choice.”

Stopping any more questions, Eve dragged her patient away. Flynn, who actually wanted to stay and talk to her again, given what had happened with Nicole, couldn't wait around. The main Clipping Book alerted them to a new incident over in France. There were a couple of clues that might have been Prospero's or Moriarty's work. Cassandra and Jake watched as he analyzed the articles. No, this wasn't for them, it was his. “Pen, paper,” he muttered, writing down a note from him to Eve. Leaving it, he said goodbye to those around, and set the Back Door. _Prospero's more important to deal with right now. Wilde later._ Flynn walked out with conflicting thoughts being bundled up and shoved in a mind closet before moving forward.

**Author's Note:**

> And it was going to be a single, but I couldn't resolve things. That and one of the plot bunnies I had for this one I didn't go with, but I really want to, later. So, more. At some point. And possibly at the end, my thought paragraphs will be included.
> 
> I'm also bad with endings.
> 
> Also, thank you for reading.


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